A real showstopper that will show off your skills and get your guests talking. An unconventional souffle in that it is demoulded onto the plate so there is a little bit more jeopardy, but all that hard work will be rewarded when you put your spoon through the oozy chocolatey centre.

The recipe is extracted from Darren's eBook Lamingtons & Lemon Tart which you can purchase HERE.

Makes: 6

Components

Vanilla Pastry Cream

Ingredients

Method

1. Put the milk and vanilla seeds and pod in a saucepan and heat to a simmer. Remove from the heat and remove the vanilla pod.
2. Mix the sugar, cornflour and yolks together well with a whisk until the mixture pales and thickens.
3. Pour one third of the hot milk onto the yolk mixture and mix well with a whisk.
4. Pour this mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk and mix well with a whisk.
5. Place the pan back onto a low to medium heat and whisk constantly while cooking the custard until it starts to boil and bubble. Cook at this temperature for a full minute stirring vigorously the entire time.
6. Transfer the pastry cream into a container and store it covered in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours and up to a maximum of two days.

Soft Chocolate Centre

Ingredients

1. Place the chocolate into a bowl with the butter, bring the cream to a boil and pour onto the chocolate.
2. Stir the cream and chocolate/butter together until the chocolate is completely melted and you have a shiny chocolate cream. Use a handheld blender to emulsify if needed
3. Leave the ganache to set at room temperature for an hour or so until it is thick enough for piping.
4. Pipe bulbs around 10g each onto a tray lined with cling film and then freeze them until firm. Demould once frozen and place into a container and store in the fridge.

Coffee Sauce

Ingredients

Method

1. Bring the milk and cream to a boil in a small saucepan, stir in the coffee and remove from the heat.
2. Whisk the yolks with the sugar well until a little paler and thicker and add this to the saucepan. Stir to mix in well and turn the heat to low. Cook the custard to 82°C or to coat the back of a spoon and remove from the heat.
3. Strain this custard through a fine sieve into a jug and chill in the fridge for an hour.

Souffle Moulds Prepared With Grated Chocolate

1. Grate the chocolate into a bowl using a microplane or fine grater. If the chocolate gets too warm chill it down in the fridge for ten minutes.
2. Brush the insides of the moulds with the softened butter using a pastry brush. Use vertical brush strokes on the inside of the mould and ensure the entire inside surface of the mould is covered.
3. Tip the cooled grated chocolate into each mould and move the mould to ensure the chocolate sticks to all of the brushed butter.
4. Tap out any excess chocolate and reserve the moulds in the fridge until needed.

Soufflé Formula & Serving

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and remove the moulds and pastry cream from the fridge.
2. Place the pastry cream into a mixing bowl and smooth it out with a rubber spatula.
3. Place the egg whites into an electric mixing machine bowl and attach the whisk. Start to whisk the egg whites on a medium speed and gradually add the sugar in three stages. Whip to a firm and stiff meringue.
4. Scoop one third of the meringue into the bowl with the pastry cream and vigorously blend the two together using the spatula.
5. When you have an evenly mixed mixture add the remaining meringue into the bowl and gently fold the two together ensuring you have a light touch, and you keep the volume and do not know too much air out. Ensure you have an even mixture and add the soufflé mix into the moulds, using a tablespoon.
6. Fill to 1 cm below the lip and push your index finger into the middle of the soufflé. Mix it around to make sure the mix is free from air bubbles in the mould.
7. Take the chocolate centres from the fridge and push one into the centre of each soufflé. Push it down a couple of cm and again swirl your finger in the soufflé to cover the hole made by the chocolate.
8. Place all of the soufflés onto a baking tray and pop them in the oven.
9. Cook the soufflés for 4 minutes, while they are baking take 6 bowls and lay them out onto your workbench. Pour the custard into the bowls or have it to hand in a jug on the side.
10. Remove the soufflés from the oven and allow them to sit for 30 seconds before taking a cloth, picking up each soufflé and inverting them into the centre of the bowls. Serve immediately.